Why had Ye Chen suddenly decided to meet Muzan and give him a beating while he was at it? With his strength, he stood no chance against Muzan. Logically, he ought to keep his head down. After all, if he lay low long enough, he might just grow stronger.
That had been his plan, but when this equipment set appeared one day, he suddenly had a new idea. Screw lying low! Today, I'm doing the exact opposite. Muzan's just a scrub! Watch me pin him down and pound him!
All right, that was just a joke. The truth was, he knew that even with the Fake-Pig Set and every trick at his disposal, he still couldn't kill Muzan.
But he felt that if he didn't teach Muzan a lesson, the bastard might pop out and take a bite out of him someday. That would be a real pain, considering he hunted demons for a living. So wouldn't giving Muzan a taste of life's brutal beating solve the problem?
Just look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni four hundred years ago. He had beaten Muzan up, and Muzan had fled faster than a dog, only daring to come out and run wild after Yoriichi died of old age. See? Once Muzan took a beating, he wouldn't dare show himself until he was confident he could win. Since the Fake-Pig Set hadn't been used up yet, Ye Chen might as well use it to fight the boss today. As long as he scared that Trash Boss badly enough, he could hunt demons in peace afterward!
[Ding. Spent 1,000 exchange points to purchase the Rathalos Long Sword. Spent 20 exchange points to purchase one dose of Demon Drug. Spent 20 exchange points to purchase one Might Seed.]
Ye Chen now looked like a Slayer from Dungeon Fighter Online, clad from head to toe in a dazzling golden equipment set. Meanwhile, the Samurai Long Sword in his hand abruptly transformed into a red long sword streaked with blue.
The Rathalos Long Sword was a fire-element long sword made from materials taken from Rathalos, a flying wyvern in Monster Hunter. Since Ye Chen's Netherworld Breathing was clearly a mutated fire element, he had bought a reasonably good fire-element long sword.
He held a bottle of medicine in his other hand, tipped his head back, and drank it down. Under the astonished gazes of Muzan and the others, veins bulged across his muscles, which surged with power.
Demon Drug: Increases strength by 10% of the base stat while in combat. Lasts until combat ends.
Ye Chen paused when he saw the Demon Drug's effect. He remembered that in Monster Hunter, it simply added ten points of attack power. Apparently, since calculating stats in Demon Slayer was difficult, it had been changed directly into a percentage. Still, that wasn't bad.
Then he picked up something resembling a seed and swallowed it. He knew that Demon Drug and Might Seeds could stack in Monster Hunter. Under Muzan's horrified gaze, his muscles swelled again, making him look immensely powerful.
Might Seed: Increases strength by 25% of the base stat after consumption. Duration: three minutes.
With Xeno'jiiva's physique, Ye Chen's strength already far surpassed that of ordinary people. Now that he had taken the Demon Drug and Might Seed, his strength had increased by another thirty-five percent. That was no small boost.
"Trash Boss, prepare to die."
Ye Chen held the Rathalos Long Sword, well aware that time waited for no one. His trial of the Fake-Pig Set lasted only ten minutes. In other words, he had to bring down Kokushibo, Doma, and the Trash Boss within those ten minutes, or he would be the one running away.
But Ye Chen didn't let that urgency show on his face. That would have been foolish. His expression remained utterly calm, his composure carrying a hint of menace. Then he stepped forward and lashed out with his long sword.
"Hmph. Let's see what tricks you have."
Muzan darted aside, dodging Ye Chen's attack. At the same time, a tentacle shot out, striking straight at him.
Ye Chen didn't panic in the slightest. He didn't even attempt to defend himself. He simply took another step forward and attacked Muzan.
Hiss!!
Muzan's attack struck Ye Chen but had no effect whatsoever. It didn't even shift his footing. Muzan's gaze sharpened as a burning pain spread through his tentacle. He noticed a layer of holy light covering Ye Chen's golden armor, scorching his tentacle like sunlight.
Netherworld Breathing, First Form: Cherry Blossom Spirit Blade Slash!
At that same instant, Ye Chen's attack landed. His long sword struck Muzan's body, cutting him into several pieces. Yet Muzan's expression remained unchanged, and the wounds on those severed sections healed instantly. Although the strange potion and seed had increased Ye Chen's strength considerably, they still made little difference.
"Blood Demon Art: Deep Winter Ice Pillars!"
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon Dragon Ring Tail."
Meanwhile, Kokushibo and Doma hadn't been standing idle in the distance. They unleashed their Blood Demon Art and Moon Breathing. Dozens of enormous ice pillars suddenly appeared above Ye Chen's head, while a slash wreathed in crescent moons hurtled toward him.
Ye Chen grinned, utterly unruffled. He still couldn't be bothered to defend himself, letting the attacks strike his body as the Fake-Pig Set's holy light kept him safe from harm. He dipped his body slightly, and the ground shattered beneath him. The next instant, he was in front of Doma. Blue-white flames wrapped around his blade as he brought it down in a vicious slash.
"Blood Demon Art: Withered Leaves Hanging Snow!"
Doma's expression tightened, and he hurriedly unleashed his Blood Demon Art to counterattack. The moment his fan met Ye Chen's blade, his hand went numb. The tremendous force instantly broke the bones in his hand and knocked his fan away. Meanwhile, Ye Chen raised his long sword again, ready to continue attacking.
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Hateful Moon: Candle Extinguishing."
But Kokushibo's attack came rushing in to block Ye Chen's slash. The corner of Ye Chen's mouth twitched. Although his long sword smashed straight through the attack, most of its power was canceled out, and its angle shifted slightly. It left an enormous gash stretching from Doma's shoulder to his waist.
"Ugh... What is this...?"
After taking the hit, Doma swiftly retreated, putting distance between himself and Ye Chen. Then he noticed that something seemed to be missing from the wound.
What he had lost was, of course, the energy absorbed by Ye Chen's blue-white flames. Xeno'jiiva fed specifically on the energy of elder dragons. How could absorbing a little energy from a demon be difficult?
Ye Chen felt it was a shame. The Fake-Pig Set was incredible, and Muzan and the others couldn't even break through his defenses, but they could still block his attacks. That wasn't something the Fake-Pig Set could change. After all, it was only a defensive equipment set.
Still, he wasn't worried, because... he was now using Valor Style. Earlier, he had switched from Bushido Style to Valor Style, whose defining trait was growing stronger the longer he fought. Once it reached a certain point, it could even trigger the valor state. By this point in the battle, that state had already activated.
Muzan Kibutsuji was still stunned by Ye Chen's equipment set. Because of it, attacks from Doma, Kokushibo, and even Muzan Kibutsuji himself had no effect whatsoever. Every attack was completely negated. They couldn't even force him to shift his footing.
But suddenly, he noticed Ye Chen's strength change again, becoming even greater. Ye Chen now seemed enveloped in an enormous, strange energy that pushed his power further still.
"Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Blazing Thorns."
Muzan narrowed his eyes and unleashed his Blood Demon Art. Several vines containing his blood rapidly sprouted from his hands and lashed toward Ye Chen. He wanted to see whether that defensive armor could protect against his blood.
Ye Chen still neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the vines to strike him. At the same time, he darted forward and delivered a savage slash at Muzan!
Muzan suddenly realized that Ye Chen was now completely different from before. Both his speed and strength had grown beyond all reason. Muzan's expression changed, but Ye Chen's long sword was already upon him, shearing off one of his hands. This time, he felt those blue-white flames absorbing his blood, slowing his regeneration until it could no longer keep up. In an instant, his entire arm was severed.
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